Catholic priests to get power to forgive abortion

Discretion to forgive abortion is to be given to all priests for a limited period onlyANSA /OSSERVATORE ROMANO PRESS

All Roman Catholic priests are to be given discretion to forgive women for having an abortion as a special concession during the church’s forthcoming holy year.

In the church’s teaching, abortion is such a grave sin that women who procure it and doctors who perform it are automatically excommunicated. Only bishops, missionaries and expert clergy who have been designated as specialist confessors, or penitenziere, can normally forgive abortions.

But the pope announced today that for the duration of an extraordinary “Jubilee” year of mercy which lasts from December 8 until the end of November 2016, women will be able to bypass this complicated process and apply to their regular parish priest for forgiveness, if he is willing to extend it.